INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS, CHENNAI

Department of Civil Engineering

CE 6310 Earthquake Geotechnical Engineering

Assignment # 7: Seismic Response Analysis: Slopes, Retaining Walls,

Footings and Piles

Note: Make suitable assumptions wherever necessary.

1. (a) A saturated and undrained clay slope is 25 m high; the slope angle is 35°.
Subsurface investigation found that the subsoil is homogeneous clay with
undrained cohesion of 90 kN/m2 and a saturated unit weight of 19 kN/m3. A rock
formation was found to be at 50 m below the ground surface. Determine the factor
of safety using Taylor's chart.
(b) A natural slope is shown in Fig. 1. It contains two soil strata. The slope
configuration and the soil characteristics are shown in the figure. A potential toe
circle with radius of 70 m passes the coordinate of (65 m, 30 m). The toe is at the
origin (0,0). Use the ordinary method of slices to determine the factor of safety
for this potential failure circle.

Fig. 1 Slope configuration for Problem 1(b)

(c) The problem statement is the same as in Problem 1(b) and is shown in Fig. 1.
Use Bishop’s simplified method of slices to determine the factor of safety for
this potential failure circle, and compare the FS with the one obtained using the
ordinary method of slices.

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2. (a) A natural slope has a slope angle of 45° and a height of 12 m. The soil has unit
weight of 19 kN/m3, cohesion of 34 kN/m2, and angle of internal friction of 30°. The
slope is subjected to a horizontal acceleration of 0.25g and vertical acceleration of
0.1g. What is the factor of safety of the slope on a potential plane failure surface
inclined at an angle of 25° with respect to the horizontal?
(b) A natural slope has a slope angle of 45° and a height of 12 m. The soil is
saturated clay, its unit weight is 19 kN/m3, and cohesion is 34 kN/m2. The slope is
subjected to a horizontal acceleration of 0.25g and vertical acceleration of 0.1g. A
potential sliding surface is shown in Fig. 2. Determine the factor of safety for the
seismic slope stability along the circular failure surface.

Fig. 2 Potential sliding surface: Pseudostatic analysis

(c) A natural slope has a slope angle of 45° and a height of 12 m. The soil has unit
weight of 19 kN/m3, cohesion of 34 kN/m2, and internal friction angle of 30°. The
slope is subjected to a horizontal acceleration of 0.25g and vertical acceleration of
0.1g. A potential sliding surface is shown in Fig. 3. Using the ordinary method of
slices, determine the factor of safety for the seismic slope stability along the circular
failure surface.

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 Fig. 3 Pseudostatic analysis using method of slices

3. (a) During the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the ground motion was recorded at the
City Hall in Santa Monica. The peak acceleration was 866 cm/s2 that occurred at
9.8 s of the earthquake, and the peak velocity of 41.75 cm/s was recorded at 14.0 s
of the earthquake. An adjacent earth embankment is 12 m high, the slope
inclination is 1:2 (vertical:horizontal). The soil has unit weight of 19 kN/m3, cohesion
of 34 kN/m2, and internal friction angle of 38°. Evaluate the permanent
displacement of the slope using the Newmark sliding block method.

(b) Use the same problem statement in Problem 3(a) and an average shear wave
velocity of 78 m/s. Evaluate the earthquake-induced permanent displacement of
the embankment using the Makdisi–Seed analysis.

4. (a) An earth embankment has a slope angle of 38° and a height of 10 m. The soil has
unit weight of 18.8 kN/m3, cohesion of 43 kN/m2, and internal friction angle of 30°.
The slope is subjected to a horizontal acceleration of 0.25g and vertical
acceleration of 0.1g. What is the factor of safety of the slope on a potential plane
failure surface inclined at 25° with respect to the horizontal?
(b) As shown in Fig. 4, a natural slope has a slope angle of 45° and a height of 12 m.
The soil is saturated clay, its unit weight is 18 kN/m3, and cohesion is 50 kN/m2.
The slope is subjected to a horizontal acceleration of 0.3g and vertical acceleration
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 of 0.1g. A potential sliding surface is shown in the figure. Determine the factor of
safety for the seismic slope stability along the circular failure surface.

Fig. 4 Schematic for Problem 4(b)

(c) The problem statement is the same as Problem 4(b). Using the ordinary method
of slices, determine the factor of safety for the seismic slope stability along the
specified circular failure surface.

5. (a) As shown in Fig. 5, a 15 m high embankment with a slope angle of 𝛽𝛽 = 40° is to

be constructed in an earthquake area. The embankment soil is sandy silt with
strength parameters of 𝜙𝜙′ = 25° and c′ = 15 kPa, and the unit weight is 17 kN/m3.

Fig. 5 Schematic for Problem 5(a)

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 The foundation soil is sandy clay with strength parameters of 𝜙𝜙′ = 20° and c′ = 20
kPa, and the unit weight is 18 kN/m3. Assume a toe failure with circular failure
surface as shown in the figure. Given 𝛼𝛼 = 30° and R = 20 m, the center 'O' can be
determined. Assume the horizontal coefficient of acceleration k h = 0.2. Determine
the factor of safety of the slope on the circular failure plane.

(b) A natural slope is shown in Fig. 6. The slope angle is 40°. The slope is subjected
to a horizontal acceleration of 0.2g. Using the ordinary method of slices, determine
the factor of safety for the seismic slope stability. Several trial failure surfaces may
be needed.

Fig. 6 Schematic for Problem 5(b)

6. (a) A natural slope is to be evaluated for permanent displacement under a design

earthquake. The slope is 33 m high and comprises mainly sandy soil. The slope
angle is 38°. Its unit weight is 18.2 kN/m3, and its friction angle is 40°. The peak
ground acceleration is 0.5g, and the peak ground velocity is 0.5 m/s. Evaluate the
permanent displacement of the slope using the Newmark sliding block method.

(b) The problem statement is the same as in Problem 6(a). The average shear wave
velocity in the soil slope was measured to be 90 m/s. The earthquake magnitude in
Richter scale is 7.5. Evaluate the earthquake-induced permanent displacement of
the slope using the Makdisi–Seed method.

7. Write notes on the following: (i) Coefficient of horizontal acceleration, (ii)

Pseudostatic analysis of seismic slope stability, (iii) Newmark sliding block
analysis, and (iv) Seismic stability analysis of slopes using FEM.

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8.

9.

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10. (a) A soil-retaining wall is shown in Fig. 7. Under the design earthquake, the
horizontal acceleration coefficient is 0.2, and the vertical acceleration coefficient is
0.1. The external friction angle between the granular backfill and the wall is 20°.
Calculate the total seismic active earth thrust (force) under the design earthquake
and determine its point of application.

Fig. 7 Schematic for Problem 10(a)

(b) A soil-retaining structure is shown in Fig. 8. Under the design earthquake, the
horizontal acceleration coefficient is 0.2, and the vertical acceleration coefficient is
0.1. The external friction angle between the granular backfill and the wall is 20°.
The retaining structure is pushed into the backfill by a horizontal strut at the upper
portion of the wall. Calculate the total seismic passive earth thrust (force) under the
design earthquake and its point of application.

Fig. 8 Schematic for Problem 10(b)

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11. A retaining structure is shown in Fig. 9. Under the design earthquake, the horizontal
acceleration coefficient is 0.25, and the vertical acceleration coefficient is 0.1. The
external friction angle between the granular backfill and the wall is two-thirds of the
internal friction angle.

Fig. 9 Schematic for Problem 11

(i) Calculate the total static earth forces behind the retaining wall and determine the
location and direction of the resultant forces for both the active and passive
conditions.
(ii) Calculate the total seismic active and passive earth forces (separately) under the
design earthquake and determine their points of application.

12. A cantilever retaining wall is shown in Fig. 10. The backfill is granular soil. The wall
geometry and the characteristics of the backfill and foundation soils are shown in
the figure. Under the design earthquake, the horizontal acceleration coefficient is
0.2, and the vertical acceleration coefficient is 0.05. The external friction angle
between the granular backfill and the wall is two-thirds of the internal friction angle.
(i) Calculate the total static earth force behind the retaining wall and determine the
location and direction of the resultant force.
(ii) Calculate the total seismic active earth force under the design earthquake and
determine its point of application.

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 Fig. 10 Schematic for Problem 12
13.

14.

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15. Consider a shallow foundation. Given: B = 1.5 m, D f = 1 m, γ = 17 kN/m3, φ = 25°, c
= 30 kN/m2, k h = 0.25; k v = 0. Estimate the ultimate bearing capacity q uE under
earthquake and static loading conditions. Use relevant figures (hand outs) to
determine the seismic bearing capacity factors. For φ = 25°, the static bearing
capacity factors are N c = 20, N q = 10 and N γ = 14.

16. The subsoil profile at a sewage disposal site in Niigata has a level ground site with
the groundwater table at a depth of 0.4 m bellow the ground surface, the medium to
coarse sand has less than 5% fines, the total unit weight γ t of the soil above the
GWT is 18.3 kN/m3, and the buoyant unit weight γ b of the soil below the GWT is 9.7
kN/m3. Based on the SPT data, the zone of liquefaction extends from a depth of 1.2
to 6.7 m below the ground surface. Assume the surface soil (upper 1.2 m) consists
of an nonliquefiable cohesive soil and during construction an additional 1.8 m thick
layer of cohesive soil is placed at the ground surface. Use a peak ground
acceleration a max of 0.2g.
Assume that after the 1.8 m thick layer is placed at the ground surface, it is
proposed to construct a sewage disposal plant. The structural engineer would like to
use shallow strip footings to support exterior walls and interior spread footings to
support isolated columns. It is proposed that the bottom of footings be at a depth of
0.5 m below the ground surface. The structural engineer has also indicated that the
maximum total loads (including the weight of the footing and the dynamic loads) are
50 kN/m for the strip footings and 500 kN for the spread footings. It is desirable to
use 1 m wide strip footings and square spread footings that are 2 m wide.

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 For both the existing 1.2 m thick nonliquefiable cohesive soil layer and the proposed
additional 1.8 m thick fill layer, assume that the undrained shear strength (s u ) of the
soil is equal to 50 kPa. Calculate the ultimate load and the factor of safety of
footings by using Terzaghi’s bearing capacity equation. Use appropriate chart to
determine N c value.

17. Use the data from the above problem, assume that in addition to the vertical loads,
the strip and spread footings will experience an earthquake induced moment equal
to 5 kN-m/m and 150 kN-m respectively. Furthermore, assume that these moments
act in a single direction (i.e., in the breadth, B, direction). Calculate the factor of
safety against bearing capacity failure using appropriate bearing capacity equations
and reduced area-rectangular footing method.

18. (a) What are the primary advantages of using laterally loaded vertical piles instead
of battered piles?
(b) Explain the difference between short piles and long piles.
(c) Explain the difference between a rigid analysis and a nonrigid analysis.
(d) A 500 mm diameter steel pipe pile is driven into a saturated medium clay with s u
= 40 kPa and γ′ = 7.5 kN/m3. This pile is embedded to a depth great enough to be
considered a long pile. Using a spreadsheet, develop a family of p-y curves at
depths of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 m using Matlock. Plot all five curves on the same
diagram.
(e) Sixteen of the piles described in Problem 18(d) are to be installed in a 4 × 4
group. Using the computed p-y curve for an isolated single pile [from Problem 18(b)]
and the appropriate p-multipliers, develop the p-y curves for the first, second, third,
and fourth row of this pile group at a depth of 3 m.
19. (a) Describe a typical structure and subsurface conditions where a pile supported or
pile enhanced mat should be considered.
(b) Carry out the static and dynamic finite element (FE) analyses of the square
piled-raft shown in Fig. 11 with other details as given in Tables 1 and 2. This piled-
raft foundation is planned for supporting the tall building of square geometry in plan.
The pile-raft system can be modelled as linear elastic material. Use suitable
nonlinear soil model and justify the selected soil model. Provide proper boundary
conditions for static and dynamic (seismic) analysis.
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 This foundation is located in a geographic area which resembles the Trivandrum
region, which lies in Zone 3 as per IS 1893:2016. The acceleration time history to be
used in the dynamic analysis corresponds to a moderate earthquake of magnitude
6.0 with a PGA of 0.08g which corresponds to DBE as per IS code. Use the digital
equivalent of the above earthquake ground motion in the dynamic analysis, that
ground motion was developed from the Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis
(PSHA) for Trivandrum.
Obtain the axial forces, shear forces and bending moments for all the piles of the
piled-raft system. Plot the bending profiles for the raft and piles separately.

Table 1 Pile configurations for FE analysis (Take dia of pile, D = 600 mm)

Pile array Pile spacing Pile length (m)

4×4 3D, 4D, 6D 12, 16, 20 (at BL)

Table 2 Material parameters to be used in FE analysis

Model E c′ φ′ υ' K0 γ t (kN/m3)

(kPa) (kPa) (deg)
Pile Elastic 12500 - - 0.25 0.01 25
Raft Elastic 30000 - - 0.20 0 25
Clay Mohr– 5 3 20 0.30 0.65 18
(Soft) Coulomb
Clay Mohr– 45 20 20 0.30 0.65 19
(Stiff) Coulomb
Bearing Mohr– 500 0.1 45 0.30 0.5 20
layer Coulomb

20. Write notes on the following:

(i) Performance-based earthquake geotechnics,
(ii) Seismic settlement of shallow foundations,
(iii) Seismic response analysis of single and group piles, and
(iv) Seismic stability analysis of earth dams using QUAKE/W.

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